I proudly present to you: the Lox + Bagel Brunch Bake!
I have been looking forward to posting this recipe for a few months now, and the stars have finally aligned.
This recipe combines two of my favorite brunch dishes: the bagel bake and lox and bagels, with all the fixin’s. Cream cheese, chives, dill, tomato, onions, capers … the whole drill. It’s perfect to serve to company, or to make for yourself to have onhand for a few days of weekday breakfast.
This dish, like the original Bagel Bake, is assembled in advance so the bagels can soak up the egg for at least overnight, and up to 24 hours. You will most likely want this in the morning, and I think it needs more soaking than a morning assembly would allow. Part of the fun of egg bakes like this is just putting it in the oven when you wake up, with no work and no mess, and about an hour later, greeting this…
One of my favorite things about this bake is that the bottom layer of bagel will get nice and saturated with egg, but the top layer will be more recognizable in look and texture as a bagel. With the egg and the salmon, this is fun – you get an eggy casserole bake and a lox and bagel sandwich: best of both worlds. {Note: my traditionalist dad will not approve. That’s ok, more for me!}
I have made this recipe a few times, and find it works best using these tips:
- Slice the bagels in half if they are not already sliced that way, and then cut them into thirds. Add the cream cheese then – it’s too messy if you top them with cream cheese and then try to cut.
Arrange the bottom layer of bagel cut side up, like you are putting out the bottoms of sandwiches. Then layer the ingredients to make individual sandwiches, including the top layer of bagel – this will make the casserole much easier to cut and serve – the sandwich “filling” will stay in place and you won’t be slicing through bagels. 
- Cover the bake with foil while it is soaking in your refrigerator, and press down on it through the foil a few times so you are sure some egg reaches the top layer.
- While it is baking, the bagel on top will start to brown. When that happens, you will want to cover the bake – lightly – with foil. Just lay it on top. This will let the egg continue to cook, but the bagel will stop browning. This is particularly important if you are using bagels with seeds, like I do. The seeds will burn if baked for too long (notice the sesame seeds are brown in the below photo), but the foil will curb that process.
I played around with proportions of cream cheese and add-ins, and you should too. This recipe is very adaptable! I try to keep food on the healthier side when I can, so I made this bake with 4 whole eggs and 4 egg whites (this is equal to 6 eggs total), and I used the least cream cheese that kept the texture and flavor that I was going for.
I hope you enjoy this creation – I know I do!
- 6 T whipped cream cheese
- 3 T snipped fresh chives
- 3 bagels {I used "everything" bagels}
- 3 oz smoked salmon (lox)
- red onion, sliced very thinly
- 1 small tomato, sliced thinly
- 4 eggs + 4 egg whites
- 2 - 3 T skim milk
- 3 T snipped fresh dill
- 1 T capers, drained
- Grab an 8" x 8" or 9" x 9" casserole dish.
- Mix the 3 T of the whipped cream cheese with the 3 T of chives.
- Slice the bagels in half (like you are going to spread something on them) if they are not already sliced that way. Cut the bottom halves into thirds.
- Spread the chive cream cheese on each piece, placing them in the casserole dish as you go. Fit them together like a puzzle, and use all of the chive cream cheese you have mixed.
- Divide the 3 ounces of lox into 3 piles. Taking one of the piles (one ounce) and eyeing 3 of the bagel pieces, tear the lox with your hands so the pieces fit neatly on the bagel thirds. You are using one ounce of lox for 3 bagel pieces.
- Top the salmon with a bit of red onion (it won't be as strong as raw onion would be on a sandwich, once it has baked for an hour), and then one small slice of tomato per bagel piece.
- Cut the top halves of the bagels into thirds, and spread on the remaining 3 T of whipped cream cheese. Arrange the bagel tops on the sandwiches you have assembled in the dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, dill, and capers. Pour the whisked mixture into the casserole dish. Cover the dish with foil, sealing the edges, and press down, to make sure the egg soaks into the top layer of bagel a bit.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, heat your oven to 400.
- Give the foil one last press, and then take it off. Bake the casserole dish uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until the egg starts to cook at the edges and the bagel starts to brown.
- Place a loose piece of foil over the top, to stop the bagels from continuing to brown but allowing the egg to continue to bake.
- Bake for another half hour.
- Check on the casserole by pressing down on the middle with a spatula. If liquid egg seeps out, give it another 5 minutes.
- Once the egg has set throughout the casserole, serve to company, or enjoy yourself!
Original recipe, adapted from other bakes on My Utensil Crock.
Tell me what you think!